THRISSUR:  Kerala University has granted female students over the age of 18 up to six months of maternity leave. Accordingly, the  female students of the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) and its affiliated colleges can avail of a maternity leave of six months from now on.

According to a local media report, the decision was made after the Senate meeting voted to lower the minimum attendance requirement for girl students to 73% for appearing in exams every semester while taking menstruation break and maternity leave into account. The report also mentioned that after a leave of six months due to pregnancy, women can join their college without taking re-admission in their course.  They must submit their medical records for verification by the college principals in order to receive the reward.

The action was taken to increase educational awareness and make it easier for women to access higher education. In the past, Kerala's state permitted 60 days of maternity leave for female students. In Kerala, a number of universities are beginning to offer maternity and menstruation leave to their students. After receiving a request from its student union, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) granted menstrual leave to its female students in January.

Kerala will be one of the first states to offer maternity and menstrual leave to girl college students if the order is expanded to other institutions. In January, Kerala's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the state would be the first in the nation to grant menstrual and maternity breaks to all female students enrolled in all institutions run by the Higher Education Department of the State. In praising the choice, he stated that it would demonstrate his government's dedication to ensuring gender equality in society and its overall support for women.

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